NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)Administrative TasksEasy
A medical assistant is preparing to submit a claim for a patient's annual physical exam. Which of the following coding systems is primarily used for reporting diagnoses?
- AHCPCS Level II
- BNDC
- CICD-10-CM
- DCPT
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. ICD-10-CM
ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification) codes are specifically used to classify and report patient diagnoses for billing and statistical purposes.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. HCPCS Level II (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) codes are used for products, supplies, and services not covered by CPT codes.
- B. NDC (National Drug Code) identifies drug products, not diagnoses.
- D. CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes are used for reporting medical procedures and services.
ICD-10-CM
ICD-10-CM is the official system of assigning codes to diagnoses and procedures associated with hospital utilization in the United States.
- Used for reporting diagnoses and reasons for healthcare encounters.
- Provides a high level of specificity for clinical conditions.
- Codes consist of 3 to 7 characters, alphanumeric.
Memory trick: Diagnosis is 'D' for ICD-10-CM.